Mending Broken Hearts
by Fumei-824
Summary: Ino is hurt and only Shikamaru is there to look after her. With both of them newly heart broken how can he hope to save her when she herself has given up? InoxShika ONESHOT


**I have been so unmotivated that I almost gave up on this one-shot, BUT I'm going to try because ShikaxIno is one of my very favorite pairings.** **And there's some Sasuke bashing in this.**

**Dedication: To Tomboy14, because this is your fav. Couple and you've been such a great reviewer _and_ you gave so many great ideas for this fic. Thank you so much!**

**Disclaimer:****I do not happen to be lucky enough to own Naruto. And Tomboy14 deserves some credit for giving me some really fantastic idea's to use (though I didn't use them all and of course I added my own stuff too)**.

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"Dammit Ino, wake up." Shikamaru growled as he carried the lifeless girl through the unfamiliar woods. Sasuke had deserted them and the mission in the middle of the night, to go after a sighting of his older brother.

Shikamaru knew Ino would be heart broken when she learned Sasuke had left them. Especially now that they had began to patch things up again.

Oh yes, Shikamaru knew all to well what Sasuke had done to Ino, how he had dated her and Sakura on and off for the last two years. And he also knew that Sasuke had chosen Sakura when the girls had confronted him about it. All this he had learned when a sobbing Ino had shown up at his door the night Sasuke had left her.

And yes she had cursed him out then, but now that they were alone and with out Sakura, Ino had started to fall for him again. Shikamaru knew how she felt, to have some one lead you on and then drop you when they got bored. After all Temari had done the same thing to him.

_Your too young for me_, she had said,_ maybe when your twenty_. She didn't understand that he loved her _now_, in three years that could all change. Maybe he would go back in three years, to prove to her that he was worthy but he'd never fall in love with her again. Not when it was so hard and painful to fall out of love, not that he had yet but he was working on it.

Wearily Shikamaru propped Ino up against a tree and sat down next to her. Sighing he wished that he could sleep but to sleep meant that they could be attacked again. He wasn't even sure what was wrong with his blonde team mate, just that she was breathing and unconscious.

Gritting his teeth Shikamaru again lifted Ino bridal style and began to walk. Only a few minutes later Ino began to stir, she squinted her eyes at him and called for Sasuke.

"No, it's Shikamaru. Sasuke left." He wasn't sure why he'd put it so bluntly but when he saw her wince Shikamaru wished that he could take it back. Slowly some thing dawned on him.

"You never fell out of love with did you? You just buried the pain."

"You did the same thing with Temari." She mumbled accusingly. Of course she was right, he knew it but he really didn't want to admit to it.

"If you were on a boat and Sasuke and I were drowning but you could only save one of us, who would you save?" He asked unsure of why he wanted an answer so badly.

"Sasuke." Ino didn't even hesitate but she did explain herself, "You could use your jutsu and be rescued as well."

"And if we were both unconscious?"

But Ino didn't answer him and it seemed as if she had slipped back into darkness. Suddenly she opened her eyes trying in vain to focus them and mumbled,

"Same question, but me and Temari."

"I...Ino I don't know..." For once he could not think of a solution to a problem.

"I'm going to die Shikamaru." And truthfully Ino really did look like she couldn't live much longer, but Shikamaru refused to give up on her.

"No Ino. Your going to be fine. Just hold on, think of some thing that you want to live for and hold on for that."

"But he left." That hurt, not just Shikamaru and his swirling mass of feelings but it also hit him like a blow to the stomach. He felt the same way when Temari had told him that she wasn't interested.

Silently Ino slipped her hand up onto Shikamaru's chest.

"What are you doing Ino?" Her hand was so cold, it was frightening.

"I feel your heart beat, I'll hold on if I can feel this but Shikamaru...your heart feels broken." So she had begun to talk the "crazy talk" as Naruto had dubbed it on one mission where a chunin had been fatally wounded. Ino put her other hand to her own heart and said,

"My heart feels broken too. Shikamaru, I think we only have half a heart each, some one else stole the rest of our hearts." The truthfulness of that statement, spoken from Ino's half conscious state struck Shikamaru as both ridiculously insane and the wisest thing he'd ever heard. Looking down at the girl in his arms he realized something. Something he'd really known all along.

"Ino, I'd choose you, Temari could drown and I'd still be happy just knowing that you were alive. I...I think that I love you." To his embarrassment Ino laughed at him.

"That's wonderful and I'd say I love you too, but we can't be in love. Remember we only have half a heart each."

"Well together we have a whole heart. One full of love that isn't scarred by any one else. Tha's all we need." And he kissed her.

In response Ino said, "I'd chose you too."

"I knew you would." They kissed again, knowing there would be many more times like this one.

For the rest of the trip Ino laid her head on Shikamaru's chest listening to his heart beat. Eventually they reached Konoha and she proclaimed,

"Your heart isn't broken any more you know, it's just right."

Smiling he corrected her, "Our heart."

"Our heart, unscarred by any others." she agreed.

**I think I did well, but what do you think? Please review and let me know!**

**-Fumei**


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